


you and i see eye to eye

by ohvictor



Series: you’re such a cute person, aren’t you? [4]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, can be read as gen or ship i guess, vampire!Rei
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2020-02-29 09:39:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18775663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohvictor/pseuds/ohvictor
Summary: Wataru finds a bedraggled bat on his doorstep; Rei knows exactly where to go when he needs help.





	you and i see eye to eye

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this a month ago but am only now getting around to posting it! i love vampire!rei who can turn into a bat, and i love wataru taking care of him! title is from cirice by ghost! 
> 
> a small warning: during the first half or so of the fic, rei is nonverbal, implied to be due to sensory/general overload; this is based on my own experiences. i don't personally think rei's experience here would be triggering to anyone, especially as it's not told from his pov, but i wanted to give a heads up just in case!

There is very little to do during the summer holiday, but Wataru drags himself out of the house when he can. Today he goes on a konbini run to stock up on snacks—this is a legitimate errand, because otherwise he will have to watch movies in bed without any snacks, like an animal—and he sweats miserably the entire way there and back. As he trudges up the steps to his doorway, he’s thinking about a movie he plans to watch later, and looks down just in time to sidestep a rock on his front steps. A twisted ankle, neatly avoided. Was that rock there before? Wait. Do rocks usually have fur? And a faint stir of a heartbeat?

Holding his breath, Wataru transfers the plastic bag to his arm to free up both hands, and reaches down to pick up the tiny animal from the step. He immediately notices that the creature is warm and has a steady pulse, and he lets out a relieved sigh. As he brings it closer to his face, he can tell it’s a bat, its wings folded underneath it, and that it’s very dirty, its fur stuck together in greasy clumps. As Wataru examines it, pulling out one of its wings to check for injuries, the bat opens its eyes and reveals blood-red pupils, and Wataru puts two and two together.

“Rei...?” he murmurs.

The bat nods, opening its mouth in a fangy yawn.

Knowing that this is Rei, a vampire, and not an unknown but non-vampire bat, squashes some worries but raises many new ones. Wataru holds the bat close to his chest and fumbles with his keys to unlock his front door. Once inside, he dumps his bag and shoes at the door and hurries to his room, where he spreads Rei out on the sheets. Rei makes no protest, and stares up at Wataru with a dull gaze.

Wataru takes a moment to put on the bathrobe he’d left draped over a chair, restoring himself to his earlier lazing-around-the-house status. Then he sits on the edge of the bed, and, unable to help himself, places his finger on Rei’s chin and pets him gently.

“You know, most people _call_ before they come over, rather than showing up looking half-dead on a friend’s doorstep and almost giving them a heart attack... How did you get here, anyway...?”

Rei won’t answer him in bat form, but Wataru’s pretty sure even as a bat he can still understand human speech. He turns Rei gently onto his side, and leans closer, examining some of the mats of fur. Now that his face is close to Rei, he becomes aware that Rei stinks. He recoils, rubbing his nose.

“How long has it been since you showered?

Rei closes his eyes, an admission of guilt.

“Summer is rough for you, isn’t it?” Wataru murmurs.

Rei opens his eyes and nips at the tip of Wataru’s finger. Wataru can’t help but laugh. Even if Rei did give him a scare, it’s good to have him here.

“You need a bath, you smelly little bat,” Wataru coos, petting Rei’s head with one finger. “Do you want to get clean as a little bat, or as a vampire? Well... I suppose you are _always_ a vampire,” he hums, now scratching behind Rei’s ears. “But as for the question of whether you’d prefer a sink or a bathtub...”

The little bat does nothing except nibble at Wataru’s finger some more.

“Right,” Wataru says, “then I’ll make the decision for you. You _will_ have a bath,” he says sternly, pointing his finger in the bat’s face. “I think we’ll do the tub, all right? I’ll hold you so you don’t drown.”

Rei squeaks and flops on his back, wings flung uselessly out at his sides. Undeterred, Wataru starts to get up from the bed, but Rei moves faster than Wataru’s eyes can track and grabs onto his arm, wrapping his wings around Wataru’s wrist. His tiny claws dig into Wataru’s skin, keeping Wataru captive.

Wataru groans. “ _Rei_.”

The bat does not let go. In fact, with more strength than a creature of that size should have, he tugs Wataru back onto the bed. Wataru falls back onto his side with a soft “ _Oof_ ,” and gives the little bat a frown. The bat pouts back.

“You are _very_ lucky that I’m so fond of you,” Wataru hums, petting Rei’s head again. The bat is so gross and unshowered that his fur sticks up with each pat. He relaxes with the attention, though, his grip on Wataru’s arm slackening...which is exactly the plan! When Rei’s sufficiently relaxed, Wataru manages to extricate his hand from Rei’s hold long enough to grab a throw pillow, which he foists into the space between Rei’s clutching claws just as Rei closes them again. Rei makes a disgruntled squeak and hugs the pillow tight against his tiny chest, pouting up at Wataru with full-force puppy eyes. The fact that his eyes are cuter in this form only magnifies the power, but Wataru stays strong and only gives Rei a brief kiss on the top of his head.

“I’ll be right back,” he murmurs, easing himself off the bed. He hears a _fwump_ , and turns to see Rei’s flopped against another pillow.

That’s acceptable, so he swishes into the bathroom, rolling up the sleeves of his bathrobe (it’s getting a little warm, but that’s a small price to pay for looking good and being dramatic) as he reaches the tub. With a flick of his wrist, he inverts the plug on the drain so that the tub will fill, and then turns on the faucets, testing the water with his fingers and adjusting the knobs until it reaches an agreeable temperature. He recalls that Rei prefers baths a little cooler than Wataru himself does, although it’s hard for Wataru not to shiver at the thought of Rei entering a tub that isn’t steaming hot. Ah, he didn’t ask if Rei wanted any bath products... He can add them later, though! There’s a black-colored bath bomb he bought a while back because it reminded him of Rei, although he had hoped to use that himself on a lonely night... But if Rei wants it, that would be fine; he’s sure Rei will get a kick out of it.

With the tub filling steadily, Wataru returns to the bedroom, swiping a hair tie off the counter above the bathroom sink as he goes. He sweeps his hair up off his neck and starts gathering it into a ponytail, and then stops in his tracks, frowning at the bed. There’s no sign of a bat there.

“After all the trouble I went through to run you a bath,” he huffs, finishing tying up his hair to free his hands to search the blankets. Upon closer examination, the bedsheets are rumpled, and Wataru can make out a little lump under the duvet. Sometimes the simplest explanation is the correct one, no? Wataru reaches out and carefully peels back the covers, revealing a still-pouting bat that squeaks agitatedly when exposed to the light.

“You weren’t trying to hide, were you?” Wataru scolds. The bat shakes his head. “Just cold, then...? Well, I’ve got a solution for you.” He scoops the bat up in his hands, cradling him against his chest as he walks back across the bedroom. Rei nuzzles his face into the crook of Wataru’s arm, and starts wrapping his wings around Wataru’s hand.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Wataru laughs, once again peeling wings and claws off himself. He pries Rei off him and holds him out over the tub. “Oh! I almost forgot. Do you want anything added to the bath? Some bath powder, perhaps? Or bubble bath?”

The bat, of course, can’t speak, and just looks up at Wataru.

“Contrary,” Wataru chides him, booping the bat’s little nose. “How does some bubble bath sound, then?”

The bat shrugs one small shoulder.

“Okay,” Wataru sighs, “bubble bath it is.” He heads back to the cabinet by the sink to grab the bottle, and squirts a generous amount into the tub. The bath begins to blossom with floral-scented blue bubbles, filling the tub almost as fast as the water had. Wataru quickly shuts off the faucets with his empty hand, and then kneels by the side of the tub, juggling Rei in his hands so he can roll up his sleeves as far as they’ll go. Rei’s grip on his wrist tightens, to the point where Wataru worries about his claws drawing blood.

Gently, he strokes the bat’s back until Rei’s hold loosens and he allows Wataru to pry him off and hold him over the mess of bubbles. He takes a sniff, and sneezes, his little bat nose twitching adorably. Wataru lowers Rei down to the surface of the water, but at the last moment, Rei twists out of his hands.

There’s a splash and a familiar _poof_ of black smoke, and Wataru withdraws his hands quickly as a full-size Rei materializes in his bathtub, naked (thank goodness for bubble bath!) and wearing exactly the pout that Wataru had seen on his bat face. He curls up against the edge of the tub, mouth drawn tight and shoulders tensed. Wataru’s sure the bath temperature is perfect, but there’s not much to be done for a vampire in water, after all.

“Welcome back to human size,” Wataru hums, leaning in to kiss Rei’s cheek. Rei huffs, occupied with amassing bubbles on top of himself until even his shoulders are obscured. Now that he has hair instead of fur, Wataru recognizes the sight of unwashed, unbrushed hair; his fingers twitch, and he reaches behind Rei for a bottle of shampoo. Rei’s eyes follow the movement, but he doesn’t say anything or move to stop Wataru, so Wataru pours some shampoo into his hand and gets to work. Rei’s hair isn’t quite wet, so Wataru dips his non-shampooed hand in the water and splashes water through Rei’s hair (not difficult, given how low Rei has sunk into the water already), and then gets to work with the shampoo, rubbing his hands together to work up a lather and then massaging it into Rei’s hair, gently coaxing out tangles and knots with steady fingers and working the shampoo into Rei’s scalp, a place shampoo probably has not touched recently. It’s a shame, because Rei’s hair is so lovely when he takes care of it.

Rei allows this treatment, not making a sound, but as Wataru washes his hair, Rei’s shoulders gradually relax, and he leans into Wataru’s touch. Wataru can’t help the fond smile that spreads across his face, and when he’s satisfied with the shampoo lather, he gives Rei’s head an affectionate pat and withdraws his hands. Rei makes a small noise, turning his head to look up at Wataru.

Ah, Wataru was wrong earlier; Rei’s eyes are _definitely_ cutest like this!

“You can wash that off now,” Wataru tells him, and Rei obediently ducks his head under the water and swishes it around. He comes up gasping despite only being underwater for a moment, and blows water out of his face with a little _pffft_ noise. Wataru can’t help but laugh, and Rei gives him an indignant look.

“Ah, you’re just very cute,” Wataru murmurs, reaching out to run his thumb down the side of Rei’s cheek. “Do you want me to wash you? Or just soak in bubbles...?”

Rei hesitates, pressing his lips together. Wataru hurries to reframe. “Sorry, sorry, I’ll give it to you slower! Do you want me to wash you?”

Unfortunately, this is not an easier question; Rei pauses, and then shrugs.

“Perhaps there is something more pressing?” Wataru taps his finger to Rei’s chin. “Are you hungry~?”

Rei shakes his head quickly. Wataru doubts the truth of this answer, but as he looks closely at Rei’s face, Rei doesn’t look faint.

“Then... How about I wash you and then let you soak for a little while?” Unable to keep his hands still, he strokes the back of Rei’s wet head, patting down a few stray curls. Rei nods, and resumes stacking bubbles on top of his folded knees. Wataru reaches over Rei’s head for a bottle of body wash and a washcloth, which he dips into the water and then squirts body wash into, lathering it in his palms. This isn’t the first time Wataru’s given someone a bath, but he still isn’t sure the best way to wash them, especially when the tub is already brimming with bubbles, and when the person might have different skincare needs than those Wataru’s shower caters to... Rei probably doesn’t know his own skincare needs, though, so it’s not like Wataru can mess up his routine or anything. In fact, really, Rei can only improve from here!

He washes Rei’s cheeks gently with the cloth, delighting in how Rei’s face immediately scrunches up. Very cute...! But it makes it difficult to wash around his nose and mouth, so Wataru uses his fingertips to spread the suds around and then declares it good enough. He washes Rei’s neck and shoulders, and Rei helpfully lifts his arms out of the water one by one to be washed. The fruity scent of the body wash mingles amicably with the bubble bath; Rei sneezes again and rubs his nose on the back of his hand.

With the rest of Rei’s body underwater, Wataru is faced with a dilemma: how to wash the rest of him. After trying to persuade Rei to get up and receiving a dead-eyed stare in return, Wataru decides that _some_ soap is better than none and submerges the washcloth as well, rubbing it over Rei’s back and chest and then over his legs, cleaning them as best he can. With this done, the water is even soapier than before. Would Rei would allow him to drain and refill the bath so that he can soak in clean water? Or is it better that Rei stays soaking until he feels a little more like himself, regardless of the state of the water? Wataru chews on his bottom lip, his gaze caught on Rei’s shoulder, and jolts when Rei speaks.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah!” Wataru laughs, warmth bursting in his chest at the sound of Rei’s voice. His hands fly out to pet Rei’s hair and cheeks. “Nothing, nothing, I was simply lost in thought! How are _you_?”

“I’ve been better,” Rei says, his voice low. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Wataru sighs. He settles more comfortably by the side of the tub, and takes one of Rei’s hands, lacing their fingers together. “Now that you are speaking, can you tell me more about what happened?”

As Wataru thought he might, Rei makes a face. “Speaking... I’ll do my best.” He tightens his fingers around Wataru’s. “Summer is... Bad. Ritsu told me to leave the house, so I did, but I got too weak from the heat and changed forms to conserve energy. Then I came here, because I couldn’t think of anywhere else to go.”

“Ah, I shouldn’t be flattered to be your last resort, should I,” Wataru hums. “Well, don’t worry, because this Hibiki Wataru will take excellent care of you...”

“You already have,” Rei says. He lifts his head with the ghost of a smile. “I knew you would be the best place for me.”

“You old charmer.” Wataru stands up quickly to hide his blush. “Well! You must be hungry, yes? I still have some tomato juice in the fridge, so I’ll just go and get it...”

“And leave me here?” Rei pouts up at him.

“I won’t be gone long.”

“What if I need something?”

Wataru digs in his bathrobe pocket and fishes out his cell phone, which he offers to Rei. “Call the landline, and I’ll pick up downstairs.”

Rei does not take the phone. “I can’t use this in the bath. It’s not waterproof.”

“Hm? Don’t get water on it then.” Wataru waves the phone at Rei.

“What if I drop it?”

“Don’t drop it, silly!” Wataru sets the phone down on the floor beside the tub. Rei eyes it skeptically. “I’ll only be gone a few minutes, so think of it as in case of an emergency, all right?”

“All right...” Rei sinks back into the water, retreating until the bubbles reach his chin again. He gives Wataru a mournful look. “Go and run your errands in your big house. I’ll just be here.”

He’s very cute, and Wataru’s glad he’s already given himself an out, because sometimes looking at Rei is bad for his heart. He sweeps his hand in a dramatic goodbye gesture and swooshes out of the bathroom and down to the kitchen. Sure enough, there’s tomato juice in the fridge still, and he finds the cutest mug in the house (it has little bunnies on it!) and fills it with juice. Anticipating a complaint from Rei that Wataru’s fetched tomato juice but nothing for himself, he also grabs himself a cup of water, and a pack of crackers (the dinner of champions!) from a cabinet, which he tucks under his arm. Holding the two cups carefully, he returns to the bathroom, where Rei has given himself a bubble crown.

“You are so _cute_ ,” Wataru groans helplessly. He sits next to the tub and hands Rei the mug of tomato juice.

Rei takes the mug in both hands, immediately getting bubbles on it, and takes a long sip. When he lowers the mug from his lips, they’re stained red (who knew tomato juice could do that...) and he gives Wataru a fangy smile. “Thank you.”

“It’s no problem at all,” Wataru says faintly. He watches Rei finish off the juice and sit up with renewed vigor. “I can get you some more juice...”

“I’ll get out of the bath and get it myself,” Rei counters. “I think I’m recovered enough for that, a thousand thanks to you... Hm.” He looks at Wataru, brow furrowed. “I’ll need some clothes.”

Wataru’s heart flutters at the idea of Rei wearing his clothes, as if they haven’t shared clothes probably a dozen times before. There’s no chance of a cute size difference since they’re the same height, but Wataru’s clothes tend to hang a little loose on Rei anyway. “I’ll grab you an outfit,” he says, keeping his voice steady. “Are pajamas okay?”

“Sure. It is nighttime, isn’t it?”

It is, but Rei doesn’t often _sleep_ at night. As he steps back into the bedroom, Wataru finds himself wondering if Rei will spend the night... Well, he probably won’t return home at this hour, especially when he’s only just regained some energy. Even so, Rei staying over doesn’t always mean Rei sleeping in bed with him. Sometimes Rei will be awake all night and Wataru will wake up in the morning to find odd things have been cooked in his kitchen; other times, Rei will be on his computer until the early morning, and will crawl into bed and wake Wataru up with his cold toes and his groaning about his headache. Other times, Rei will change to bat form and hang from something, and Wataru will walk into the bathroom in the morning and nearly fall over because there’s a dark shape on the towel rack that turns out to be Rei, asleep.

It’s not really domestic bliss, but it may be as close as Rei can get to something like that.

After thumbing through his closet and dresser, Wataru selects a comfy pajama shirt and a pair of boxers and brings them back to the bathroom. Rei’s got the tub draining and is standing morosely in the tub with the showerhead in hand, washing off the rest of the bubbles. His back is to Wataru, likely for modesty’s sake, but Wataru still averts his eyes and backs out of the bathroom, leaving the clothes on the rim of the sink.

A moment later Rei emerges, wearing the pajamas and a sour expression, his hair wrapped up in a towel. He immediately grabs onto Wataru’s arm and pulls Wataru close, burying his face in Wataru’s shoulder. “Hibiki-kuuun, I’m so cold...”

“Hey, hey,” Wataru says, extricating himself and turning so he can frown at Rei. “I ran you a bath and _personally_ washed your greasy, sad self, and all I get is _Hibiki-kun_?”

“...Wataru,” Rei amends, avoiding Wataru’s eyes. He latches onto Wataru’s arm again, and Wataru lets him this time, pressing a kiss to the side of Rei’s towel.

“Do you still want juice?” he asks, slinging his arm around Rei’s waist.

“Yes.” Rei starts walking towards the hall, dragging Wataru with him. They manage to get all the way to the kitchen like this, not even tripping over each other’s feet, but once they reach the tiled floor Wataru separates himself and leans against the counter while Rei grabs a new glass and pours tomato juice into it. Rei leans against the fridge to drink it, his eyes on Wataru over the rim of the glass.

“Are you sleepy? Wataru?”

Wataru smiles. “A little. But I would stay up with you if you asked.”

“No, no. I’m a little tired too. Or at least, lethargic enough that lying in bed seems like the best option.” Rei finishes his glass, and refills it with what’s left of the tomato juice carton. “We can get in bed if you like. Let me just finish off this juice.”

“There’s no rush.”

A comfortable silence falls between them, as Rei sips his juice. Wataru takes down his hair, which was falling out of its hair tie as it tends to do, and plays with the ends of some strands, twisting them tight around his fingers. It’s a stim he does when he’s bored, or nervous; in this case, he’s simply bored, but after a moment Rei’s hands appear on his own and stop his fingers from moving. Wataru lifts his head and meets Rei’s worried gaze.

“Ah, I’m fine,” he says, giving Rei a bright smile.

Rei nods and steps back, releasing Wataru’s hands. “Let’s go back to your room. Will you snuggle with me, Hi... Wataru?”

“Is it really that hard?” Wataru hums, reaching for Rei’s hand again so he can lead him back to the bedroom. “You used to call me by my first name all the time.”

“That was in a different life,” Rei says seriously. Wataru smiles, his face hidden from Rei’s sight as he walks ahead of Rei. “These days, Hibiki-kun feels more natural... More appropriate.”

Something tightens in Wataru’s chest, and he stops and turns around. Rei stops too, brow furrowed, as Wataru approaches him and presses his fingers to Rei’s chest.

“You don’t have to create distance between us. I don’t want to be pushed away from you. Haven’t I shown you that I care for you so much still?” He flattens his hand on Rei’s chest, his palm resting over Rei’s heart. “Is it selfish of me to want to be closer to you?”

“No... It’s...” Rei hesitates, chewing on his lower lip. Wataru thinks of dry, chapped skin and the sharp flash of fangs, and wishes he could stop Rei from doing that nervous habit. “It’s not selfish. Perhaps it’s me who’s been foolish... In my old age, I...” He shakes his head. “It’s easier, like this. But you did take care of me tonight. I knew that you would.”

It’s not everything Wataru wants, but it’s something—a step. He nods, and takes his hand back. “I’ll always take care of you, Rei. Whatever you need.”

He leads Rei back to his bedroom in the midst of a somewhat less comfortable silence than before. Rei climbs onto the bed and pulls the covers up to his nose, immediately curling into a ball. His still-wet hair splays across the pillow, a mess of loose curls. Wataru turns off the light and feels his way to the bed in the darkness, wondering if Rei’s red eyes could glow in the dark, like a true creature of the night.

When he gets into bed, Rei immediately snuggles up to him, winding his limbs around Wataru and burying his face in Wataru’s shoulder. Perhaps the darkness makes him bolder—that does seem in line with Rei’s character. Wataru doesn’t dare think too hard about it. He holds Rei close and strokes up and down his back, buries his face in Rei’s hair and inhales the clean scent of shampoo.

The change from tiny, greasy, wordless bat to soft, cuddly, teasing vampire was not an easy one; caring for his best friend always takes time. Wataru finds it worth it, though, because even if Rei still can’t be as open as Wataru would like, he’s still _here_ , holding onto Wataru in the dark. And he came to Wataru when he needed somewhere to go, believing that Wataru would care for him. In a way, that’s all Wataru could ever ask from Rei—that Rei will believe in him. Wataru closes his eyes and kisses the top of Rei’s head, and hears a soft sigh in response. And only moments later, he falls asleep.


End file.
